Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown’s Mustangs put an exclamation point on that return by beating No. 7 Cincinnati 76-55, their first win over a top 10 team in 26 years.

Ben Moore (AP Photo)

“I’m thrilled for the school,” Brown told Sporting News the day before Saturday’s beatdown. “When I came here, I was hopeful we could be special right away. It’s changed quicker than I guess we thought, but you still want more. You want your kids still to get better. The opportunity to play Cincinnati, Connecticut, Memphis, Louisville—that makes you have to be better. I think we’re all excited, but you want more.”

Playing before a raucous crowd at newly renovated Moody Coliseum, SMU fed off that energy to build a 14-point halftime lead and led by as much as 15 before the Bearcats mounted a comeback that cut the Mustangs lead to 48-41 with 10:07 left.

But SMU went on a 13-2 run that put the game out of reach and extended its home court unbeaten streak to 13 straight for the season. As the game's final minutes wound down, fans chanted "Moody Magic," a nod to the team's perfect work at home.

The Mustangs, which shot 57 percent for the game, were led by guards Nick Russell and Ben Moore, who each had 15 points.

SMU also has one of the nation’s best recruits coming on board for the 2014-15 season in Emmanuel Mudiay. With Brown at the helm, the Mustangs are a threat in the AAC, and looking like a major player in the at-large NCAA Tournament bid conversation.